Resent, Reject, Regret

Deirdre tossed an implicative glance outside the kitchen.

“Believe me, I’ve seen the worst, and now nobody else’s skill could ever faze me again. Seriously, try to surprise me.”

“Heh.” Declan excitedly washed his hands and grabbed a spare knife. He made a few nicks and began to unpeel it.

“How’s this?”

Deirdre’s poor sight would not be able to help her tell, but she also thought this was the best opportunity to get Glenna and Declan talking again.

“What do you think, Glenna?”

Quietly exasperated, Glenna turned in the direction of Declan’s hand and noticed how beautiful his fingers really were. It was as if a man with good genes simply could not have anything remotely out of place in any part of their physical appearance. Glenna never fancied herself as someone who gave a dime about hands, and yet even her heart throbbed.

When she finally broke out of her trance, she realized she had been silent too long. Declan tried to dispel the awkwardness in the air with a chuckle. “I must have done a really crappy job if my panelist can’t review my handiwork.”

He made another nick.

“How about now?”

Excuse me,” Glenna suddenly declared. She set her knife and potato down and hurried out

to himself, “Okay.

had overheard. What happened? What

asked, “I know the two of you had made up, Mr. King, but why does it seem

burst into tears at that time despite himself

her cry!?” Deirdre was shocked. “What sort of question is that?

replied, forcing himself out of his memories before

she looked like the tough type who would never

heard her cry before, which

potato slices were almost done. She explained that she was having a stomachache. Not willing to expose her,

“Had something shady lately?”

day. D*mnit, I should have known!” she replied as she finished slicing the last potato.

to their other dishes-including Glenna’s stuffed eggplants- until,

lively chatterbox, yet today, she was uncharacteristically quiet and seemed almost too focused on